William towler



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

W. TOWLER.

TRAMWAY RAIL.

No. 539,836. Patented May 28, 1895.

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WILLIAM TOWLER, or LEEDS,` ENGLAND.

TRAMWAY-RAI L.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters P atent No. 539,836, dated May 28, 1895. Application led January 22,1895. Serial No. 535,785. k(No model.) Patented in England January 27, 1893, N0. 1,830.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM TOWLER, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Leeds, in the county of York, England, have invented new and useful Improvements inA Tramways, (for which I` 'have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No.

1,830, dated VJanuary 27, 1893,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rails for tramways and railroads, having removable caps attached thereto and consistsin the construction and combination of parts hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a cross-section of a single tramway-rail of the girder type to Which my invention has been applied. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of a tramroad, the right-hand side being taken at the junction of two rails; and Fig. 3 is a plan corresponding to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a side cover-box.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

a is the permanent non-wearing body of the rail which is rolled with a head b, thev cross section of which is of a dovetail shape, with the widest portion at the top.

c is the wearing part, or rail cap having on its upper surface a groove for the lianges of. the Wheel. This rail cap c, is rolled with side depending flanges d. These anges d may be rolled parallel or slightly wider between their lower ends to facilitate rolling and also the placing in position of the rail cap c on the head b. The width between the roots of the fianges d is made equal to the Width of the 'top of the head b, and to facilitate removal of the rail cap c, (as hereinafter described,) thelength (or depth) of the flanges d is preferably made slightly greater than the depth of the head bj I VWhen the rail cap c is placed on the head b, the depending flanges d are pressed close against the inclined sides of the head b by means of a screw-or hydraulic closing tool,

on which the rail cap c is firmly secured to the head b. In the first instance the rail cap c may be rolled at the rolling mill on the head b, but after the first cap is worn out a fresh cap is attached in the manner described,

x without disturbing the girder portion a and than the ordinary rail by the thickness of head b, and only the paving blocks close to the rail.

To remove the worn out rail cap c, the depending fianges d are opened out by a screw or hydraulic opening out tool, the claws of which are arranged to catch hold of the lower edges of the liangesd on their inner sides, where they project below the bottom edge of the head as above described. When the bottom of the wheel-flange groove in the rail is all but worn through, the rail cap c may also be removed by splitting the thin bottom of the groove with a chisel, when both sides ot' the rail cap will be sufficiently loose to be drawn away; or the rail may be drawn off by a ripping tool.

The above described connection between the rail cap c and the head b I find quite secure for ordinary working conditions. For more perfect security under strain bolt-holes are made through both flanges d and the head b, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. l, and bolts e inserted to prevent any possibility of the flanges d opening out. These bolts are preferably formed with chamfered heads and provided with chamfered washers. In orderl to be able to get at the nuts for tightening up without having to take up the paving, I provide iron cover boxes g, (shown in detail in Fig. 4,) which can be readily lifted out of place and returned again.

The rail ais preferably rolled less in depth Y the rail cap c.

Although I have described my invention as applied to a rail of inverted T section, it will be evident thatthe dovetail or flaring shape of the head b is the only part of the rail section essential to my invention, and that the lower portion a of the permanent part may be of other convenient section, for example of an inverted Y or bridge section. Further as several different forms of screw 0r hydraulic closing, opening and ripping tools can be readily devised, andas such form no part of myinvention any description of such has been omitted. Lastly the permanent rail and head a b may be of cast iron instead of rolled iron or steel.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let- Y flaring sides, in combination with a rail-cap c whereby the said anges are drawn against v having depending flanges d of sufficient ilexithe said flaring sides of the head substantially bility t0 be fitted on the sides of the said railas set forth. head by pressure and afterward bent out- WILLIAM TOWLER. 5 Ward again to permit the removal of the cap, Witnesses:

and bolts passed through the said flanges and J. CLARK JEFFERSON,

rail-head each bolt being provided with anut f JOHN TOWNSEND. 

